8. "Circle Sewn with Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate" (episode 2)
The second episode of Agatha All Along, "Circle Sewn with Fate / Unlock Thy Hidden Gate" was released along with the first episode so that both could function as a two-part premiere. It was a wise decision, because this is the one where the show's central premise truly takes form.
Taking place after Agatha regains her memories and squares off with Rio, this episode's function was to introduce the idea of the Witches' Road. From the moment that Teen mentions it, Agatha's intrigue is piqued - so is ours, as the duo set out on the road (out of Westview) to assemble a coven that can get them there. This is what opens the door for the rest of the show's primary characters, as we meet Lilia Calderu, Jennifer Kale, Alice Wu-Gulliver, and get more of WandaVision's beloved Mrs. Hart.
While the episode itself could have placed a little more focus on Lilia, Jennifer, and Alice just to help us get to know them a bit better, it pulled off their introductions well for the most part. Like the premiere, it doesn't function as well as a standalone, but when paired together with the first episode, the two serve as a strong opening to the show.
We also can't ignore the fact that the closing act of episode 2 is arguably the best sequence of the whole series. The moment in which the witches perform the Sacred Chant version of The Ballad of the Witches' Road (with the Salem Seven nipping at their heels) is goosebump-inducing; as is the moment that the coven end up on the Road and take their first walk down it.
If episode 1 was setting the table, the second was when the meal was sat down in front of us. And what a divine meal it was shaping up to be.